


Echoes

by sequence_fairy



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-12
Updated: 2013-05-12
Packaged: 2017-12-11 14:47:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/799919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sequence_fairy/pseuds/sequence_fairy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She sees him standing at the foot of her bed and the scream leaps from her lungs before she realises it’s the Doctor, not the echo of the villain from her nightmare.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Echoes

She wakes with a gasp, heart galloping in her chest. The nightmare leaves her cold and clammy, stomach rolling as she scrambles frantically for the switch on the lamp beside her bed. Her room is bathed in light and she sees him standing at the foot of her bed and the scream leaps from her lungs before she realises it’s the Doctor, not the echo of the villain from her nightmare. 

He’s around the bed and pulling her into his arms before she can apologize and she breaks into hiccoughing sobs that leave her wracked with shudders as he murmurs soothing nothings into her ear and holds her close, one hand on her nape, the other rubbing circles into her back. Rose grips his waist tightly, eyes squeezed shut and her face pressed into his shoulder.

She can smell him, sandalwood and lemons, and the ozone scent of Time that follows him always. Eventually, she calms and he gently lifts her chin to look at her, and Rose sniffles then blinks fiercely to stop the tears. She sighs shakily, and unclenches her hands where they’ve been fisted in his coat. The Doctor shakes out a handkerchief and hands it to her, waiting while she wipes her eyes. Rose is at a loss of what to do with the cloth and gives it back to him. He takes it gingerly with a grin that Rose returns with a watery smile of her own. 

“D’you want to tell me about it?” The Doctor asks, concern etched in his features. She shakes her head, not trusting her voice. He sighs, and scrubs a hand across his face, but doesn’t press her and Rose is grateful. He moves to stand and Rose catches his hand, seeing the surprise flicker in his eyes as she holds on.

“Don’t – don’t go,” she says, and the Doctor sinks back down beside her. “I – you – I’m not,” she stops, clears her throat and tries again, “would you stay?” 

The Doctor looks taken aback, and Rose thinks she should write it down, she’s rendered him speechless, must mark it on the calendar, but he nods eventually, searching her face for something. Rose shuffles over on the bed, and pats the space beside her. The Doctor hesitates but eventually stretches out beside her, stiff and awkward. Rose huffs, and rolls over, snuggling down into the pillow, “g’night Doctor,” she says on a yawn. 

“Good night Rose,” he replies, and Rose falls asleep to the sound of him breathing beside her and the quiet hum of the TARDIS engines.

And in the morning, if she wakes to find that she’s rolled over in the night, one leg hooked over his and her head pillowed on his shoulder, one of his arms wrapped around her shoulders and the other meeting hers on his stomach, their fingers laced together, well, she hadn’t had another nightmare.


End file.
